Shelby Township, MI — June 6, 2024, Nancy Richmond and Crystal Brunn were killed as the result of a box truck accident at around 1:00 p.m. on Highway 53.
According to initial details, the crash occurred along the highway near 22 Mile Road. It appears the area had traffic due to construction.
Authorities say that 63-year-old Crystal Brunn and her mother, 88-year-old Nancy Richmond, were in a vehicle going through this construction zone. An approaching box truck reportedly did not slow down in time, crashing into Brunn and Richmond as well as multiple other vehicles. As a result, Brunn and Richmond were killed. It’s unclear if anyone else was hurt.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
Right now, it appears the truck driver is facing charges for moving violation causing death. Additional details are unclear. There’s a lot of talk about the truck driver right now—rightfully so. That said, I haven’t seen any clear confirmation on whether or not he was working for an employer. Obviously, any mistakes an individual driver makes are his or hers to answer for. But I’ve handled hundreds of commercial vehicle accident cases, and it’s far more common than people realize for a truck driver’s employer to play a significant role in a crash.
One thing to consider, for example, is driver history and experience. I’ve seen some details claiming the truck driver here has multiple traffic violations and a few previous accidents on their record. I can’t say if those allegations are true or not, but I’ve handled accidents in the past where employers failed to do proper background checks or outright ignored a driver’s reckless behavior. All they cared about was having a warm body behind the wheel doing business, consequences be damned. Responsible companies take the time to properly vet their drivers so they know the employees they’re responsible for aren’t putting lives at risk.
That’s why I have to wonder if authorities here are going beyond the surface and considering more than just the truck driver’s actions. As important as it is to address a driver’s mistakes, it’s also important for victims and families to know all parties who wronged them will be held accountable. If there’s an employer out there who could have prevented this, they, too, need to answer for their actions that led to two women losing their lives.
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